Matchmaker, Matchmaker
by Bookkbaby
Summary: Yullen. Allen is wondering what to do about Kanda and a little push from Lavi might send him in the right direction.


Disclaimer: I am not rich. I don't own a thing. Katsura Hoshino does, though I would not mind getting DGM as a Christmas present this year…

Warning: SHOUNEN-AI, meaning boylove. Allen and Kanda, in this fic. Some swearing.

Important Note: This oneshot is a what-if fic taking place after A Game of Poker chapter 26. It is NOT necessary to read A Game of Poker to understand this oneshot. Nothing in this fic should be taken as spoilers for anything in AGoP since this fic does NOT fit in anywhere in the AGoP universe. It is just an AU, what-if sidestory.

This fic was done for the AssHat Productions bingo game.

Card: Black

Words I had to use: self, avoid, Lenalee, safe, never, Allen, have, scent, Cross, creep, charge, mind, lost, use, animal, ground, power, Kanda, want, Lavi, switch, fluff, apple, and hate.

Wordcount: 10,013 words total in the fic.

Matchmaker, Matchmaker

Allen sighed to himself, walking slowly through the lower corridors in the Black Order headquarters. His footsteps, echoing loudly on the walls, were the only sounds besides his quiet breathing. The candle he carried in one hand was the sole source of light, illuminating only an area about six feet in diameter. Few other people ever bothered to walk down the steps to the lower floors, especially since there was nothing of interest down here. Even the cleaning crews had mostly abandoned this place and cobwebs and dust had long since taken the hallways Allen now walked for their own.

The white-haired boy wasn't particularly bothered by the lack of company. He had gotten lost often when he had first come to the Order and had found himself down here in these halls more than once those first few weeks. He knew the corridors well enough to navigate them blind and came down here every so often when he needed to think. Hours of solitude were possible down here, since no one would ever think to look for him so far into the depths on the building.

It was a particularly difficult problem that had driven him here today. A particularly difficult problem he had been struggling with for months and hadn't found a solution to yet.

Kanda.

More specifically, what to do about Kanda. He had been avoiding the samurai for the past few weeks, but the other Exorcist had never left his thoughts. Allen was almost certain that not a day had passed since he had met Kanda that the Japanese teen didn't feature prominently in his thoughts, though his thoughts hadn't always been kind to the older boy.

In his first few months at the Order, the only times Kanda had driven him to seek solitude down in this part of the building was when the swordsman had done something to make him angry. On those occasions, it had been either walk away or punch the scowling teen. Allen would spend an hour, no more, wandering the lower floors until he had either forgiven Kanda for his insensitivity or at least stopped wanting to throttle him. Some days, he had almost hated Kanda for his cold attitude and rude behavior.

These days, he wished things were so simple.

He sighed again, feet stilling as he came to the end of the hallway and stood in front of the steps leading down to another empty hallway. He didn't particularly feel like descending any more than he already had and he sat down where he was, scooting forward just a bit to rest his feet on the first step down. He set the candle he carried on the dusty stone floor next to him and crossed his arms over his knees, staring blankly into the dark beyond the reach of the candle's flame.

His life had been so simple when he had seen Kanda as a sort-of friend and a comrade. He could switch between wanting to punch him and sitting next to him at mealtimes without a problem. Up until six or seven months ago, he had been perfectly content with the relationship he shared with the Japanese teen. At least, he thought he had been. He wasn't sure when he started noticing that Kanda was almost pretty with his hair down, or that Kanda's scowl looked more like a pout sometimes, or that Kanda would do his best to protect the people he deemed worthy of protection, no matter what he said before or after to the contrary. He didn't know when he had first thought that Kanda wasn't as cold as he liked to appear. He didn't know when he had first wondered what Kanda's sleeping face looked like - would it be relaxed and almost childlike or would the swordsman even scowl while asleep?

Allen had always wanted to see Kanda smile. At first the desire had been a bit unkind; he had wanted to see the other Exorcist smile just to confirm that it was possible for him to smile. Now the desire was selfish; he wanted to see Kanda smiling at him, a smile for Allen and Allen alone. It wouldn't be a wide, toothy grin like Lavi's or a soft, gentle smile like Lenalee's. Neither of those smiles would suit Kanda. His would probably just be a barely-there upturn of the lips and a slightly eased tension between his eyes, something almost impossible to notice unless you knew the swordsman.

Allen turned his gaze to the flame of the candle, watching it shiver in the slightly chilly air of the below-ground hallway.

He didn't know when the desires had started, but he could pinpoint the exact moment when he had started to take note of them and their significance. He privately referred to it as the Shower Incident, though he hadn't spoken to anyone about it and Kanda had apparently decided to forget it existed.

He could feel his face heat at the memory. Even now, months after the Incident had occurred, it still made him blush to think about. The memory of dark hair made wet by the shower sticking to and contrasting perfectly with the pale skin of Kanda's back... that sight had burned into his memory and had paid him more than one late-night visit. In those dreams, he and Kanda were naked together not by accident, but with purpose, and the shower room wasn't usually the setting. Allen tried not to dwell too much on those flashes of memory.

It wasn't likely that anything could come of it, after all. He didn't have time for romance, not when his curse would pull at him and demand that he use his Innocence to free the souls of more and more Akuma and with the war heating up between the Black Order and the Earl and his minions. The Millennium Earl had not been pleased at all by the loss of Tyki Mikk to the Order's side of the conflict and then had become even more enraged when the Noah of Lust had been lost in an attack on the Order's Headquarters. New Akuma were appearing all over the world every day and there seemed to be more countries declaring war on each other for no real reason, creating more and more recently-killed humans to make more and more Akuma.

With all the madness in the world and the insane amount of work the Order now had to do, he didn't have enough free time to pursue any of the tender, fluffy feelings he had for his fellow Exorcist. Even if he found a way around the massive amount of work and stress they now had to deal with, there was little that made him think such a pursuit would be welcomed by the older boy.

Little, but not nothing.

The 'little' something wasn't even anything Kanda had said or done, but rather something that Lavi had told Allen not a week ago.

FLASHBACK

"Hey, Allen, can I talk to you?"

Allen had already begun exiting the dining hall after eating lunch, but paused at the sound of a familiar voice calling his name. He turned to see Lavi walking quickly towards him, a half-eaten red apple in one hand and a broad grin on his face. The white haired boy waited for the redhead off to the side of the large double doors that served as the entrance and exit to the hall, trying to avoid being in anyone's way and smiling at the few Finders that passed by as Lavi caught up.

He fell into step beside Lavi as the redhead drew near. The now ex-Bookman apprentice grinned at him, walking silently next to him as they turned left out of the dining room. They passed one or two more small clusters of Finders as they walked, then Lavi grabbed Allen's sleeve and tugged him towards an open doorway.

"This way," he said. Allen stumbled slightly over his feet as he was suddenly pulled to the side, nearly falling through the open door as Lavi suddenly released him and shut the door behind them. The room was plunged into darkness for a second before the redhead flipped the switch on the wall and turned on the lights.

Allen blinked rapidly three times as his eyes adjusted to the abrupt change in light levels. He stared at Lavi questioningly, trying to smile.

"Well? What did you want to talk about?" he asked. Lavi shrugged with exaggerated casualness, sending alarm bells ringing in Allen's head. The hammer-wielding Exorcist took another bite of his apple, chewing and swallowing quickly.

"Oh, nothing much," he said cheerfully. "Just Yuu."

Allen felt his smile freeze on his face.

"Me?" he asked, keeping his smile on his face through sheer force of will. Playing dumb might work, just this once...

Lavi was watching him keenly, a knowing gleam in his green eye. Allen felt his expression crack, his smile fading as the strength to keep it up drained out of him.

"You know that wasn't what I meant," Lavi said. He motioned to something behind Allen. "Sit down. This might take a while."

Allen looked back, spotting a wooden chair. He sat down in it, looking down at the stone floor until a scraping sound met his ears. He looked up. Lavi was dragging a similar chair from the side of the room where Allen noticed a collection of identical chairs stacked up. Some seemed quite dusty, as though they hadn't been used in years. This was probably some sort of storage closet, though why the Order would need so many chairs Allen didn't know.

He looked away from the chairs when the scrap of wood against stone stopped in front of him and Lavi sat down in the chair, leaning comfortably against the hard wood. The redhead shifted a bit, fine-tuning his position, then relaxed and looked at Allen. The white haired boy smile nervously, already itching to stand and head for the door.

"I really should be going," he tried, but Lavi shook his head.

"No. I just need to talk to you about Yuu," he said gently, but his voice was firm. Allen uncomfortably settled himself in his chair, knowing he probably wasn't going to be allowed to get up soon.

Lavi took another bite from his apple, chewing thoughtfully. After several heartbeats of silence, he swallowed and spoke.

"I know you like him, Allen."

The white haired boy felt all the blood drain from his face and then it rushed back with a vengeance. He could feel his face heat up and he looked away, opening his mouth to deny it, but Lavi wasn't done speaking.

"There's no use denying it. I've noticed how you act around him. Little things, but I've been trained to notice stuff like that."

Allen could feel his blush deepen. He swallowed thickly.

"What have you noticed?" he asked, heart sinking. Lavi was unusually observant, but if he was being obvious-

"Just little things, like I said. The way you look at him when you think no one is looking. The tone your voice takes when speaking about him or to him. Nothing major." Lavi smiled reassuringly at him. Allen felt the knot of anxiety that had formed in his chest loosen a bit and he nodded, meeting Lavi's gaze hesitantly for a moment before looking away again.

"And you figured it out from just that?" he asked. "How long have you known?"

Lavi chuckled a bit sheepishly.

"Until just now, I didn't," he replied. "Though your reaction when I told you what I wanted to talk to you about was a bit of a tip-off."

Allen winced. So he had just confirmed Lavi's suspicions. He nodded slowly then took a deep breath and looked up.

"I do like him," he admitted quietly. At least with Lavi he knew that there was no shame in admitting he had feelings for another man. That removed one potential hazard of the confession, but the fact that it was Kanda... "He doesn't know, does he?"

Lavi laughed outright at that, taking another bite of his apple and shaking his head.

"Who, Yuu? He wouldn't realize it if you were making him boxed lunches in heart-shaped bento boxes."

Allen briefly pictured himself in an apron, something pink and frilly, handing such a box to Kanda as the swordsman - inexplicably dressed in a business suit and tie - walked out the door to their modest house. He couldn't help himself and laughed too, putting a hand to his mouth to muffle his laughter.

He looked back up as his chuckles subsided. Lavi's smile was still present, but faded somewhat into a more serious expression. The last of Allen's chuckles died quickly and he met Lavi's gaze with equal solemnity.

"Yuu doesn't like to let people in, Allen," Lavi said gently. Allen nodded, the last of his mirth fading entirely. He already knew that it was probably hopeless, he didn't need Lavi telling him this. "It took me and Lenalee years to get to where we are with him now. It will probably take at least another half a year for him to tolerate Tyki."

Allen nodded again, unable to stop himself from looking away this time.

"That being said, I don't think it's impossible."

Allen looked back up, a soft, sad smile on his face. He met Lavi's gaze and shook his head.

"You don't have to cheer me up. I already know that nothing will-"

Lavi held up his empty hand, the one not holding an apple, requesting silence. Allen let his words die on his lips.

"'Nothing will ever come of it'?" he asked, finishing Allen's sentence. The white haired boy nodded slowly, opening his mouth to continue, but Lavi shook his head. "If you don't do anything about it, then no, nothing will happen, but I think you might have a better chance than you think."

Allen frowned, puzzled.

"You just said that Kanda doesn't let people close," he said slowly, trying to understand. Lavi nodded.

"I did."

"You said that it took you and Lenalee years to get close to him," Allen continued. Lavi nodded again.

"I said that too."

"I haven't know Kanda nearly as long as you or Lenalee," the white haired boy said slowly. "What if, by the time I finally get close, I don't feel this way anymore?" His heart sank deeper in his chest and he glanced down at the floor for a moment before lifting his gaze to Lavi's face again. "What if I never get that close?"

Lavi smiled.

"But you already are. Yuu let you in quicker than anyone else - it's one of the things that makes me think you have a chance."

Allen stared, mouth agape.

"I-I'm not-" he began to protest, but the redhead cut him off.

"It took me half a year to get him to sit next to me at lunch," he said. "He was sitting next to you within a month."

The white haired boy began to protest again, but Lavi shook his head, quieting him.

"It's the little things you have to look for to know where you stand with Yuu. I learn quickly, so I'm almost as good at reading him as Lenalee. You're as good as I am and you haven't known him nearly as long as we have."

Allen could see he wasn't going to win this one. Lavi was fairly stubborn at the best of times and he could see that the redhead had dug in his heels on this issue.

"'One of the things'?" he echoed the older teen's words from earlier, trying to clamp down on the fragile bit of hope blooming in his chest. "What else makes you think Kanda won't kill me if I confess to him?"

Lavi just smiled.

END FLASHBACK

Allen turned his attention away from the candle's flame back towards the darkness of the stairway.

So what if he had been sitting with Kanda at lunch after only knowing him for a month? So what if it had taken Lavi six months to achieve the same result? So what if Lavi had probably been working on getting to sit next to Kanda that entire time and Allen hadn't done anything to convince Kanda to sit with him? Knowing the swordsman, Lavi's persistence had probably annoyed him and he had avoided sitting next to the redhead for specifically that reason. It didn't necessarily mean anything... but it might mean something.

Allen groaned and buried his face in his crossed arms.

Assuming it did mean something... assuming Kanda did like him too and would give him a chance, what did he even have to offer the other Exorcist?

He sat up again and unfolded his arms. He stared at his hands, first the right and then the left. He clenched both hands into fists.

His right hand was for people. His left hand was for the Akuma. That was what he had decided, but it wasn't just his hands that he had dedicated to the cause. It almost seemed like he had two selves. He was both the Exorcist who was the Destroyer of Time, the boy with a mission to save the lost souls of Akuma, and he was also the Allen Walker who fought for and protected his friends. Lately, the part of him that was an Exorcist had been growing and that self was beginning to eclipse the part of him that was just Allen.

Like this, he didn't even have anything to offer Kanda. He didn't have enough of himself left to give to anyone.

And that was assuming Kanda even wanted any part of Allen that said white-haired boy could spare.

He dropped his hands. That was a major assumption to make, but he couldn't help but hope it was true. If Kanda wanted him, Allen was sure he'd be able to find enough of himself left over to give to the swordsman. He wanted the older boy badly enough to try and make it work.

It couldn't hurt to try and let Kanda know he was interested. Even if it didn't work out, he would have tried.

Unbidden, memories of his master began rising to the surface. Cross may have been something of a creep - Allen couldn't remember all the times he had been saddled with the man's debt and he could still remember the sight of a hammer descending towards his face before everything went black - but at least the man knew something about relationships, having had more than his fair share. All of Cross's lovers had spoken so glowingly about him that Allen knew that Cross had to be good at what he did, even if he wasn't exactly a good mentor.

Would any of the man's techniques work on an irritable male swordsman rather than a blushing female?

Allen considered the thought for a moment.

Gifts had been popular with Cross and had worked fairly well. At the beginning, perhaps just a few roses or some chocolates and, later on, possibly a bracelet with some precious stones for decoration if the woman was exceptionally beautiful and exceptionally unwilling to leap into bed with the General. Allen briefly pictured himself handing a bouquet of flowers to Kanda and winced. The idea of Kanda having a secret sweet tooth was almost as ridiculous and the image of a thin golden bracelet on the swordsman's wrist was likewise cringe-worthy. He quickly nixed those ideas.

Cross had often cooked dinner (read: bought ingredients and made Allen cook while Cross sampled a few bottles of whatever wine he was planning on serving with the meal) for ladies he was trying to take to bed. The tactic had worked more often than not and it had given Allen considerable confidence in his cooking skills, but it still hadn't been that effective when used on its own. A little less than half the time, the woman in question simply left once dessert was done, though if she had drunk too much to walk she slept it off in a spare room. Cross had been decent enough not to take advantage of completely intoxicated women, though he had no qualms about getting them drunk enough to let go of some of their inhibitions.

Allen shook the thought out of his head, trying to get his mind back on track.

He had cooked a lot when he was younger, but he hadn't cooked since coming to the Order and he wasn't sure if his skills had deteriorated. He might still be good enough to please one of Cross's conquests, but Cross had never tried to please a very picky, bad-tempered swordsman. Kanda liked soba and only soba, and the white-haired boy wasn't as confident with dishes he wasn't familiar with. He'd have to ask Jerry for the recipe, ingredients, and for use of the kitchen; too much trouble for something he wasn't sure he'd succeed at. He wasn't even sure if Kanda would accept food made by him or if making the older boy dinner would communicate his feelings. After all, as Lavi had said, Kanda probably wouldn't catch on even if Allen was making him lunch in heart-shaped boxes.

He sighed. Dinner was out as well. Too much work and too subtle.

He supposed he could always try Cross's last resort if nothing else worked. Strip poker wasn't exactly subtle and it had worked pretty well for Cross; he couldn't remember a single woman that had resisted for long after seeing Cross mostly naked, though a game of poker would not be his first choice. If he tricked Kanda into getting naked with him-

-his mind briefly flashed back to the incident in the showers and his face heated up-

-then he was sure that any chance he might have would disappear. Kanda didn't like being tricked and Allen didn't want anything too intimate with the older boy too quickly. Playing strip poker would not help him win Kanda over or set the limits he wanted to set.

He sighed again. Any form of trickery was out, then. He should have remembered that Kanda didn't like tricks of any sort, not even pranks or jokes. Since most of Cross's seduction techniques were either bribery or trickery of some sort, that ruled out just about everything his master had taught him about winning over another person.

Allen could always go the simple route and just tell Kanda that he liked him. There would be no way to mistake his meaning and there would be no trickery, so the only objection Kanda might have would be with Allen himself. A simple confession, direct and overt, would probably be the best route to go.

At least it would be if the thought didn't scare Allen silly.

He doubted that there was anything more difficult than stating your feelings for another person out loud. Especially if that person was Kanda.

He allowed his mind to wander down that path for a moment, picturing himself finding Kanda somewhere suitably private and saying 'I like you' to the swordsman's face. He winced almost immediately as mind-Kanda stared blankly at him and then drew Mugen, expression growing murderous, as the words registered.

Or, and this was almost worse than being hacked open by Mugen, Kanda just turning away and saying something like 'Che, I thought I told you not to bother me with stupid shit like this'.

Either scenario seemed equally likely and equally painful.

A third one, mostly a product of fantasy, bubbled up within his mind. Allen clapped a hand over his mouth instinctively to stifle his laugh. The likelihood that he would confess and get pinned to the wall and kissed for his trouble was about as likely as Kanda proclaiming a sudden love for sweets. His chuckles subsided and he dropped his hand, staring off into the darkness beyond the reach of the candle's flame with a soft smile.

Confessing outright wasn't really possible either. Allen doubted he'd be able to bring himself to say the words unless he knew that the feelings were reciprocated. With only Lavi's belief and the rather unimportant matter of how long it took Kanda to sit next to him at lunch, Allen couldn't be sure of anything.

He sighed and stood, brushing the dust off his coat. He bent down to pick up the candle and turned away from the stairs leading down.

That was enough brooding over the problem for today. He would get the issue resolved one way or another, but not today.

He sighed and headed back towards the upper levels of Headquarters. Relaxing in his room for a little while might help him clear his mind and come up with a way to subtly let Kanda know he was interested in a 'more-than-friends' kind of way.

LINE BREAK

Allen smiled as he reached the top of the last staircase leading to the hall his room was in. The candle had been blown out as soon as he had gotten back to the artificially lighted levels and he held it in one hand as he walked towards his room.

He hadn't taken five steps towards his door when he heard a voice call his name.

"Allen?"

He turned, smiling politely at Lenalee. The girl was standing by the stairs on the opposite side of the tower, a smile on her face and her hand raised in a wave. Allen raised his hand and waved back briefly, then dropped his hand and began to walk towards his room. He had taken one step when he heard Lenalee speak again.

"Wait a moment, Allen! I have a message for you!"

Allen paused, looking back at Lenalee. She was walking towards him quickly, next to the railing that prevented people from accidentally falling down the steep chasm in the tower's center. His eyes tracked her movement as he waited patiently for her to reach him.

She smiled at him as she caught up, though something seemed strange about the expression. It didn't quite reach her eyes and when she reached him she didn't speak, just smiled.

"How are you?" he asked her. Her eyes flicked to the floor, then immediately back up, her smile brightening. It still didn't reach her eyes.

"I'm fine. How are you?" she asked. Allen smiled back at her, a bit bemused.

"Fine," he replied. He waited a moment, then gently prompted her. "You said you had a message for me?"

She nodded, the motion completed almost before he finished speaking.

"You remember that meadow we had a picnic at a few weeks ago?" she asked. Allen nodded slowly, still bemused. It had been just the four of them - Kanda, Lenalee, Lavi, and Allen. Kanda still refused to eat with 'that asshole' as he referred to Tyki, so Lavi hadn't brought his lover with him. Lavi was the one who had picked the location and Allen remembered how pretty the meadow had been; it had been deep enough in the woods that most people in the Order had never ventured far enough to see it and as such, it had been mostly untouched by humanity. Lenalee had brought the picnic basket and the blanket and they had stayed out until well past dark after eating their dinner. The incident stuck out particularly well in Allen's mind because of the location and the fact that Kanda had been scowling darkly the entire evening, though Allen hadn't yet been able to find out why the swordsman was so angry. Lavi had seemed particularly smug, so Allen had known that the redhead was somehow connected though that bit of information didn't help him figure anything out.

"Er, well, Lavi told me to tell you to meet him there. He said he wants to talk to you," she said quickly. She relaxed, a tension releasing that Allen hadn't even realized was there until it disappeared. She smiled again and this time it reached her eyes. "You should probably go there now. I don't know how long he'll be there."

Allen just stared at her for a moment before he nodded, puzzled. Something was obviously going on - Lenalee's odd behavior would have tipped him off, even if her 'message from Lavi' wasn't so strange. Why on earth would the redhead want to meet him out there in the middle of the woods when one of their rooms or even the library would work just as well for a private conversation?

The redheaded Exorcist was probably involved somehow anyway. Lenalee wouldn't have told him to go to the meadow and cited Lavi as the reason unless the redhead had asked her to.

"All right. I'll go there now then," he said. He tucked the now-cool candle he had been carrying into his pocket and turned away from Lenalee, still puzzled from the bizarre conversation. "I'll see you at dinner then..."

She lifted her hand up by her face and waved goodbye.

LINE BREAK

Lenalee watched Allen go, a small amount of guilt churning in her stomach. Lying to her friends was never easy, though in this case it was for a good cause.

She heard footsteps in the hall behind her and turned quickly, tensing nervously. She relaxed and smiled when she saw Lavi standing there, a broad grin on the redhead's face.

"Seems like he bought it. Thanks!" he said, walking up to stand next to her. He smiled at her, then turned his gaze towards where Allen had been moments before, where the white haired boy had turned the corner to take the stairs down. Lenalee followed his gaze, a hesitant smile on her face.

"Do you really think that this will work?" she asked. Lavi shrugged, unconcerned.

"Maybe not. Even if it doesn't, there are still other things we can try," he said. He turned his smile to her again. "At least we already know that they like each other. All we have to do is shove them together often enough and something is bound to happen. As long as that 'something' isn't Yuu cutting off Allen's head, we're fine."

Lenalee winced. Though she doubted Kanda would actually kill Allen or do him any permanent harm, it was too easy to imagine the swordsman's temper getting the better of him.

"He was very angry when you showed Allen his outdoor training area," she said slowly. "It might have been better if we had used a different clearing for our picnic..."

Lavi shook his head, a hint of irritation creeping into his expression.

"Showing Allen the clearing wasn't the only reason I picked that place for the picnic," Lavi said. He didn't elaborate, but he didn't need to. Kanda made no secret of the fact that he wasn't exactly fond of Tyki Mikk and it didn't take a genius to see that the Japanese Exorcist's attitude angered Lavi. The redhead had just been taking a small form of revenge on the swordsman by showing Allen the clearing Kanda liked to practice in.

It hadn't mattered that Allen would probably never venture into the place unprompted, at least not to Kanda, who had just been furious that the 'beansprout' was in what he saw as his meadow. Lavi had known that and, when Kanda had been furious throughout the picnic, he knew that his retaliation had been a success.

Besides his revenge, it had been much easier to set up today's plan with Allen already knowing where the clearing was. If Lavi or Lenalee needed to escort the white haired boy, the redhead doubted that today's purpose would even be possible to achieve.

The redhead grinned again.

Perhaps hooking up with Allen would help Kanda remove the stick from his ass.

LINE BREAK

Allen walked through the forest's thick foliage, slogging through the numerous plants and bushes in the underbrush. Some of the bushes had needles and they clung to his pants and the bottom of his shirt and vest, trying to drag him back. Some trees had raised roots and he stepped carefully over those, trying to avoid stubbing his toe or tripping. He held one hand up to protect his face from the whippy, low-hanging branches of some of the taller plants, hoping to keep from getting a mouthful of leaves or a welt across his face.

He frowned a bit as he nearly stumbled over a loose rock for the second time. Why would Lavi want to meet him all the way out here? He was almost to the clearing now, he was fairly certain of it, but he hoped that whatever it was that the redhead wanted to discuss was important. Assuming, of course, that the redhead was even out here.

He sighed, picking his way carefully around a burr bush.

His thoughts had been going in that circle since he had gotten the message from Lenalee.

He looked up towards a break in the tree about fifteen feet from where he stood. His frown turned into a smile. At least his curiosity was about to be satisfied and then he would be able tp return to headquarters, go to his room, and read his book. He quickened his pace, nearly tripping once as he got closer to the break in the trees that led to the meadow he and his friends had eaten in.

He stood between the two trees when he reached them, looking around the large, open area to try and locate Lavi.

Allen froze when his eyes caught motion, stunned into stillness.

Lenalee had been lying, he thought distractedly, not moving a muscle. It wasn't Lavi waiting for him in the clearing. In fact, if he had to guess, he didn't think that the clearing's current occupant even knew to expect him.

Kanda was in the middle of the meadow, in the center of a wide circle of flattened grass. The swordsman was not twenty feet from where Allen stood and he was shirtless. Kanda's pants hung loose and low on his hips and his hair was tied back into his customary high ponytail. A blindfold covered his eyes. Mugen was in his hands, the blade gleaming in the sunlight.

Allen swallowed heavily, moving closer to the tree to his left and almost going behind it. He knew that Kanda couldn't see him with the blindfold on, but that mattered little. It was just an instinct to hide when watching something you knew you should not be seeing, even if the person you watched didn't know you were there.

Kanda flipped Mugen with practiced ease so that the point was towards the ground and he shifted his hands on the hilt, inclining his head in an unmistakable bow. He held the pose for a moment, then straightened up and lifted the sword properly, arranging his hands in a position Allen knew from having watched the swordsman fight.

After a heartbeat of no movement, Kanda suddenly sprang into action. Mugen lashed out in a fearsome strike with enough power to cleave a Level Two into halves, something Allen had observed firsthand. The strike had barely been completed before Kanda moved into another attack. Allen watched, fascinated, as the swordsman whirled and struck more and more invisible enemies. Each strike was clear and solid, each one defined, but the Japanese Exorcist moved so fast that each strike seemed to melt into the other and it was only when really concentrating that Allen's eyes were quick enough tp pick out each movement of the sword. The other boy's feet weren't rooted in the ground, but light and moved almost as quickly as his weapon. Kanda moved from stance to stance, traveling in what looked to be a random pattern as his blade whistled through the air.

With one last strike, a straight stab into an enemy in front of him, Kanda stopped moving. He held the pose for a moment, then lowered his sword and stood straight. His chest was heaving slightly as he breathed and Allen's eyes followed the movement unconsciously. He flushed when he realized he was staring at Kanda's chest and looked away, only to find that his eyes darted back almost as soon as they left.

He was half-tempted to turn around and leave, but he was equally tempted to step forward and make his presence known. Why he would have that impulse he didn't know, but Lavi's voice was murmuring quietly in the back of his mind, saying that he 'might have a better chance than he thought'...

Before he realized what he was doing, he moved away from the trees and stepped out into the clearing. The grass crunched under his feet and Kanda's face jerked towards him. Allen blanched as Kanda lifted Mugen again and charged at him, sword poised to strike.

Stunned, Allen didn't move until Kanda was swinging. The white haired boy yelped, ducking under the blow and moving around to Kanda's back. The swordsman growled and didn't stop moving, expertly tracking Allen's movements even without the help of his eyes.

"Ka-" he started, but the swordsman was still moving.

Allen barely dodged a second strike, feeling the blade pass just shy of his chest and cutting open the material of his shirt and vest. He paled further, quickly activating his Innocence and lifting his arm to block the downwards strike that came next.

Mugen hit his arm hard and Allen winced, but his block held.

"Kanda!" he said quickly, trying to get through to the teen. The other Exorcist didn't appear to register his voice, sliding Mugen back and attacking again. Allen backed up rapidly, using his arm and his cloak to block the attacks when he knew he wouldn't be fast enough to dodge.

Kanda was relentless, his rapid fire attacks never slowing. Allen forgot to watch his feet and stumbled backwards over an upraised root. He cried out in surprise, abruptly cut off when his back slammed into the tree the root belonged to and the remainder of his air left him in one forceful whoosh.

Kanda, of course, hadn't ceased his attack. Mugen was stabbed into the tree next to Allen's neck, so close he could feel the flat of the blade whenever he breathed in. One of Kanda's hands left the handle of the weapon and went to the swordsman's face. Kanda yanked the blindfold down in one irritated motion, blinking twice as his eyes adjusted to the sudden brightness. Allen, still struggling to breathe properly, managed to smile weakly as Kanda's expression went from angry to murderous.

"Beansprout," Kanda growled, scowling fiercely. He didn't move back, apparently quite content to stay where he was. Allen couldn't exactly say that he minded their position either, though he'd rather be pinned to a tree without a sword sticking out of the bark next to his neck. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Allen deactivated his Innocence, hoping that putting away his weapon would encourage Kanda to do the same. No such luck. The white haired boy smiled weakly, making a conscious effort to keep his eyes on Kanda's face rather than let them roam anywhere... indecent.

"Well... ah, I'm supposed to meet Lavi here..." he said, a bit breathless from losing his air a few moments before and from the swordsman's proximity.

Kanda's expression grew deadlier still, his scowl deepening.

"The fucking rabbit sent you here?" he demanded. Allen nodded hesitantly, wondering if that had been the wrong thing to say. Kanda suddenly stood straight and jerked Mugen from the tree with one forceful tug before turning away from Allen and beginning to head back into the center of the meadow. "Get the hell out, beansprout. The stupid rabbit isn't here."

Kanda sounded like he wished Lavi was there, if only so he could make mincemeat out of the redhead.

Allen stayed where he was, temporarily frozen in indecision. He could just head back to his room, but staying to watch Kanda practice was very tempting. It was especially tempting because Kanda seemed to have forgotten that Allen was there; the swordsman was taking up his spot in the center of a circle of flattened grass again, though he hadn't pulled his blindfold back up to cover his eyes.

Surely it wouldn't matter if he stayed for just a little and watched the other Exorcist practice, would it?

He didn't move.

Kanda stood in the middle of the meadow, back perfectly straight and eyes shut. He seemed to be doing a sort of standing meditation, as if trying to get his emotions back under control though he was still scowling darkly.

Allen found his eyes tracing over the broad expanse of Kanda's chest. The sunlight added a warm glow to the pale flesh and he was briefly transfixed, mind overlapping the image he was currently seeing with one that was months old, under the harsh glow of indoor lighting and the reflections off the white tile of the communal showers...

Allen felt his face redden but he made no move to stop the train of thought. He allowed it to continue, staring at the swordsman and wondering what the older boy's skin would look like when illuminated only by moonlight. He wanted to know what Kanda would look like above him or beneath him, what places on the other Exorcist's body were sensitive to touch, what it would feel like if they had nothing between them but skin-

His face reddened further and he stopped the thought in its tracks. He blinked, shaking his head slightly to clear out the embarrassing images, and turned his mind back to the present.

Kanda was scowling at him, though the Japanese Exorcist was still in the center of the clearing.

"I told you to get the fuck out," he growled, leveling his sword at Allen. Though not close enough to do immediate damage, Kanda was fast enough to cover the ground between them in seconds. "Why the hell are you still here?"

Allen swallowed, pressing back slightly against the tree. He opened his mouth to speak, mind already working to try and find an excuse that wouldn't get him maimed and would let him stay just a bit longer.

"I like you," he answered without thinking. His face paled when he saw the stunned look on Kanda's face and he quickly tried to backpedal. "I mean, uh-"

Kanda's eyes narrowed and he stalked towards the white haired boy. His expression was just as murderous as it had been when he had learned that Lavi was the one responsible for sending Allen to the clearing, or maybe even worse than that. Allen pressed his back more firmly against the bark behind him, shrinking slightly from the sheer anger the swordsman radiated.

"I-I like watching you? Er, watching you train?" he tried desperately. Kanda was almost upon him now and he opened his mouth for one more excuse when Kanda finally reached him and held the point of Mugen's blade under Allen's chin. The British boy shut his mouth, staring wide-eyed up at Kanda as the older boy loomed over him.

"Did the fucking rabbit put you up to this?" Kanda demanded angrily. He slammed one of his hands into the tree next to Allen's head when the white haired boy didn't answer right away. "Well?"

Allen shook his head rapidly in vehement denial. He felt his face redden and he looked away from Kanda, unable to face the swordsman. This would be embarrassing and potentially painful enough without watching the older boy's expressions.

"Lavi didn't 'put me up' to anything," he said. He felt his cheeks redden as the weight of Kanda's disbelieving stare grew heavier. "Well, he did send me here, but-"

"That asshole," Kanda bit out. "He fucking put you up to this."

Allen felt the first stirrings of indignation. All thoughts of being rejected were shoved aside in favor of being irritated that Kanda wouldn't believe him.

"He didn't put me up to anything, or weren't you listening, baKanda?" he asked, turning his gaze back to the taller boy so he could glare up at him. Kanda returned the glare with interest. Allen held his ground, not conceding an inch.

"I like you," the white haired boy said, more forcefully this time. He colored again, remembering what he was saying and who he was saying it to, but he didn't take the words back. His glare had faded and he stared up at Kanda, suddenly aware of just how close they were.

The swordsman's bare chest was just inches away from Allen's own and Kanda's face was almost nose-to-nose with the white haired boy. This close, Allen could feel Kanda's body heat and could smell his scent; a mix of cheap soap and sweat. He could count Kanda's lashes individually and he waited, breathlessly, for the swordsman's response to his declaration.

Kanda was watching him suspiciously, clearly still inclined to disbelieve him. Allen waited, swallowing heavily as the silence continued. He could feel his heart racing nervously as his mind suddenly went over all the reasons he had come up with earlier for not confessing so obviously until he was certain of the other Exorcist's feelings.

Allen felt some of the blood drain from his face, though overall he still sported a definite blush. Kanda already had Mugen at his neck, so all it would take would be just a little twitch of the swordsman's wrist to cut into a vital artery.

In hindsight, maybe this hadn't been a good idea.

Perhaps he could still escape without injury if he claimed that Lavi had put him up to it? He'd have to warn Lavi that Kanda would be furious with him, but it had been the redhead's fault that Allen had even considered confessing in the first place. Besides that, Lavi was not the one being pinned to a tree by a swordsman famous for his hair-trigger temper.

He was just about to laugh weakly and 'admit' that Lavi had indeed put him up to it - though why Kanda would assume that Lavi was playing a trick on him by having Allen confess feelings for the irritable swordsman, Allen didn't know - when Mugen was lowered away from his throat. He stared at Kanda in confusion, noting that he was receiving a similarly confused but disbelieving look from the other Exorcist. Kanda seemed to be contemplating something, but then he scowled and turned away.

"Just go," Kanda said. "And tell the rabbit to stop shoving his nose in places it doesn't belong or I'm slicing it off."

He started to walk away. Before Allen knew what he was doing, he reached out and grabbed the swordsman's wrist. Kanda jerked his head around, glaring at the white haired boy. That was almost enough to get Allen to let the other boy go, but now that he had confessed he didn't want to leave until he had an answer, even if it wasn't a favorable one.

"Let. Go."

"No," Allen said firmly, tightening his grip. Kanda tried to wrench his arm from the white haired boy's grip, but Allen just clung tighter. "I'll let go and go away when you respond."

The Japanese Exorcist gave the Brit an irritated look.

"Respond to what?" he demanded crossly. Allen felt his face heat and it took more willpower than he was willing to admit just to keep his gaze fixed on Kanda's.

"I told you I liked you," he explained, trying not to rush over the words though he could feel embarrassment roiling in his stomach. "You're supposed to respond."

When Kanda scowled again, Allen almost wished he had just left the matter alone and taken the swordsman's refusal to reply as a 'no'. Almost.

"It was a bad fucking joke to begin with, beansprout," he said, trying to tug his wrist free more forcefully. When Allen didn't let go, his scowl darkened.

"It's not a joke," Allen said, feeling real anger rise up in him along with his embarrassment. He had never thought that Kanda wouldn't believe him - that hadn't even made the list of problems he thought he'd encounter when confessing his feelings to Kanda. The Japanese Exorcist just glared at him, apparently still refusing to believe his words. Allen glared back.

Kanda abruptly turned back to Allen, stepping towards the shorter boy. Allen almost moved back in surprise, but managed to keep his feet firmly planted. He looked up at Kanda's face, breath hitching as Kanda drew even closer. Kanda's scowl was dark and angry and the white haired boy counted himself lucky that the swordsman hadn't brought Mugen up to help remove Allen's hand.

"Let go," Kanda hissed, narrowing his eyes. The Brit almost didn't hear him, more distracted by the lips so close to his. Kanda didn't believe him right now, but maybe if he pushed his luck just a bit...

He almost didn't care what the consequences were for this undoubtedly rash action. He just wanted Kanda to believe him.

Throwing aside the self-preservations instincts begging him not to, he lifted his free hand to the back of Kanda's neck. The action surprised the swordsman and he stopped speaking, eyes going wide in surprise.

With no more thought to what he was doing, Allen pulled Kanda down the remaining distance until their lips met.

Allen instantly shut his eyes, more so he couldn't see his impending doom rather than so he could concentrate on the sensation of Kanda's lips against his, but the latter was a nice bonus. Kanda's lips were a bit chapped and dry, but Allen didn't care. He wasn't feeling quite suicidal enough to try for an open-mouthed kiss, no matter how tempting the thought of it was, but this should get his point across and prove to the swordsman that he wasn't lying.

He broke away from the dark-haired teen, relaxing his hold so that Kanda could move back if he chose. Allen forced himself to open his eyes, heart pounding in his chest as he waited for Kanda's response.

Kanda was staring at him, dumbstruck. His lips were parted slightly in shock and Allen was sorely tempted to pull him back down and try for that open-mouthed kiss he had wanted mere seconds ago. Self-preservation kicked in and he dropped his hands as though he had been scalded.

"I, uh... well, I wasn't lying..." Allen said, keeping his gaze locked with Kanda's and hoping some of his sincerity showed through. His internal organs were squirming uncomfortably, tying themselves up in knots while Kanda just stared at him.

At least the swordsman hadn't lifted Mugen yet. That had to be a good sign, or at least a sign that Allen wasn't going to be killed in the next few seconds.

"Kanda?" he asked hesitantly. The sound of his name seemed to spur Kanda to action. His mouth shut and his eyes darkened just a little. Allen swallowed heavily, frozen in place by anticipation.

With an almost animalistic growl, Kanda reached out with the hand not holding Mugen and grabbed the nape of the white haired boy's neck. The Brit barely had time to yelp in surprise before his lips were captured roughly. Shocked by the unexpected kiss, he didn't respond immediately when Kanda's tongue pressed insistently and inelegantly against his lips.

Kanda's other arm wrapped carefully around Allen's waist. The swordsman was careful to avoid even brushing Allen with the sharp edge of the blade, keeping the sword bent away from the white haired boy as he pulled the Brit's hips closer.

When the swordsman's tongue pressed into his mouth, Allen finally came back to his senses. He closed his eyes and put one hand to Kanda's face, pushing back just a little to encourage the dark haired boy to gentle the kiss. His other arm went around the swordsman's waist and he pressed himself closer to the other Exorcist's body. Allen slid his hand to the tie holding Kanda's hair up when the older boy gentled his assault on the younger Exorcist's mouth. The white haired boy tugged at a string, pulling the tie free and allowing Kanda's hair to fall over his hands like liquid. Allen tangled his fingers in the strands, using the hold to pull the swordsman back in after they broke apart briefly for air.

Their third kiss lasted about half the length of their second and then they broke apart, both breathing heavily. Allen stared, somewhat dazed, at Kanda. The swordsman, for once, wasn't scowling. His face was relaxed, though he wasn't smiling by any stretch of the imagination, and his eyes were darker than usual.

Kanda's hands began to extricate itself from his hair. Allen felt a sharp stab of disappointment, but untangled his fingers from the swordsman's long locks and moved his hand to rest on Kanda's shoulder. Kanda's hand rested on the white haired boy's shoulder, the look on the Japanese Exorcist's face clearly showing that he was interested in possibly continuing once they had both caught their breath.

"Does this mean you... uh, like me back?" Allen asked hesitantly, keeping his eyes on Kanda's face. The swordsman scowled, dropping his arms from around Allen and turning away. The white haired boy held out the swordsman's hair tie, which Kanda quickly swiped from his hands. The dark haired boy began to tie up his hair into the usual high ponytail.

"Che. Idiot," Kanda said. The words lacked bite or anything greater than a trace amount of venom. Allen smiled. For Kanda, that had been an almost affectionate confirmation, and Allen had known the dark haired boy for too long to mistake the words for anything but a confirmation.

Kanda began walking away from him, heading back towards the center of the clearing. His free hand - the one not holding Mugen - went to his blindfold and yanked it back up over his eyes. The teen obviously intended to get back to his interrupted practice and Allen hesitated, wondering if he was allowed to stay or if Kanda still wanted him to leave.

"Kanda?" he called out. The Japanese Exorcist paused and turned his head to face the white haired boy, unable to see Allen since the blindfold was already in place.

"What?"

"Do you still want me to leave?" Allen asked. The swordsman seemed to consider the question for a second, then turned away and continued to the center of the meadow.

"I don't care. Do whatever."

Allen's smile widened. He turned and covered the few feet between himself and the tree he had been pinned to earlier, sitting down at the base of the tree and leaning his back against the bark. Kanda would probably practice for at least another hour, but Allen was more than content to wait and watch him.

He rather liked the view.

LINE BREAK

As Allen had predicted, it was just about an hour later when Kanda finally ended his practice. The swordsman had gone over to a small clump of bushes and pulled out Mugen's sheath and a skintight shirt. Kanda had pulled the shirt on over his head and sheathed the sword before slinging the weapon over his back. After taking a moment to make sure his clothing sat comfortably on his body, he turned back to Allen. His eyes had rested only briefly on the white haired boy, then they had turned their gaze to the barely visible path through the bushes on the other side of the clearing. The path would take them back to headquarters and that look was all the hint Allen had needed to know that it was time to get going back.

Leaving the meadow was almost as difficult as getting to it in the first place, but Kanda had been back and forth to the secluded spot much more often than Allen had. The dark haired boy led the Brit back, silently showing him an easier route around the bushes filled with needles and the brambles rather than through said bushes.

Neither spoke, but the silence wasn't uncomfortable. It was an easy silence, one that didn't need to be broken by mindless chatter.

It was only when they were almost back to headquarters and had cleared the line of trees that Kanda made any sound. The swordsman stopped abruptly with a sharp inhale, his sudden stop almost causing Allen to run into him. He stepped back a bit and looked at the Japanese Exorcist quizzically, then tried to look around him and see what had given him pause.

Lavi and Lenalee stood by the doors. Lavi had obviously spotted them, for he was waving energetically.

"Allen! Yuu!" he called. "How'd it go?"

Allen flushed. He could hear the mirth in the redhead's voice and felt a heavy certainty in his gut that the hammer-wielding Exorcist had known exactly what would happen when he sent Allen to the clearing.

He was drawn out of his embarrassed musings when Kanda suddenly began stalking towards the redhead, one hand going to Mugen's hilt. Allen hastened to catch up, one hand reaching out for Kanda to try and pull the swordsman back. He was just a hair too slow.

Lavi didn't seem concerned by the enraged teen. Lenalee, however, was not used to seeing Kanda charging at her with his sword raised and she backed away from Lavi. The redhead smiled, neatly dodging to the side when Kanda drew Mugen and swung at Lavi's neck.

"You bastard!" Kanda growled, taking another furious swipe. Lavi dodged that one just as easily, still grinning. "I fucking told you not to tell anyone! Especially not the goddamn beansprout!"

Lavi chuckled, ducking under Mugen as the swordsman tried to yet again inflict injury.

"I take it everything went well, then?" he asked lightly, glancing over at Allen for confirmation. The white haired boy had moved to stand next to Lenalee and was watching the two other Exorcists. The Brit could feel his cheeks redden slightly and glanced towards Kanda, not wanting to make the change in their relationship known unless the swordsman was also willing.

Lavi caught the glance and his smile widened.

"Congratulations!" Lavi said cheerfully. Kanda's furious, wordless shout was all the warning the redhead got before the Japanese Exorcist tried to slice him to ribbons. Lavi dodged, though this time a few red hairs drifted silently to the ground. "Hey, watch it!"

Kanda glared darkly at Lavi, but didn't attack again. He sheathed Mugen and straightened up, throwing a glare towards Lenalee as if daring her to say something.

The Chinese girl smiled.

"I'm happy for you both," she said sincerely, looking at Kanda first and then turning her smile to Allen. Kanda's glare faded a bit at her words, though it was obvious he was trying to keep his expression as murderous as possible.

"Che," he said, then turned to Allen. "Come on, beansprout. The kitchen's already open."

Allen smiled gratefully at Lenalee and Lavi. His two friends smiled back at him, Lavi looking extremely smug.

"Thank you," Allen said. Kanda huffed impatiently, though he turned back to Lavi with a warning look in his eyes.

"If you tell anyone about this, you stupid rabbit-"

Lavi held up his hands in a mock surrender.

"Would I do that, Yuu?" he asked innocently. "Your secret is safe with me."

Kanda scowled, as if to say he had heard that before, but turned back to the door to headquarters.

Allen gave one more smile to each of his friends before following the swordsman inside. His stomach rumbled quietly, spurring him to move faster and catch up with Kanda. He fell into step beside the swordsman. Kanda glanced at him once, but didn't seem to mind having the other boy right next to him. Feeling bold, Allen caught the Japanese teen's hand in his own. Kanda's steps paused for half a moment, but then he continued walking as though unconcerned.

When Kanda didn't pull his hand free, Allen smiled.

Perhaps this could work after all.

The End

A/N: Just to reiterate, since I'm sure some people skipped the note at the top: this oneshot does not fit in with the 'A Game of Poker' universe and should not be taken as part of that fic.

I hope everyone enjoyed my first foray into the Yullen half of the fandom! I hadn't written a fic just for them before this, so I hope it was enjoyable!


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